Downfallbegins at the high-water mark of Axis expansion in November 1942 and ends in May 1945 at Germany’s surrender. Downfall isn't a new-player friendly game but that's not because it's hard to learn, it's not difficult to learn and teach at all, rather it's not new player friendly because you simply can't have enough experience to know just how threatening the game itself can be to your survival until you play it a few times. This game has so many components that I couldn't actually get the lid all the way back on the box unless I disassembled all of the airships from their stands. Enter Downfall by Tasty Minstrel Games, a 4X game that plays out over a set number of turns and uses card drafting as the action selection mechanism for players. Instead it feels awkward and game-y because it's less about scoring points for yourself and more about denying points to your opponents.

While you can fight with other players your biggest enemy every game is the harsh irradiated post-nuclear-war world that you are all struggling to survive in.I think children under the age of seven could play the game as they shouldn’t have any trouble understanding the rules. Only 3 Event cards are used each game, from a deck of 25, and they can have wildly profound effects on the game. The combat is deterministic in Downfall, and it's simply a matter of adding up how much combat power each player has to determine a winner. Players then take their actions semi-simultaneously before picking up the cards passed to them, drawing one from their personal deck, and choosing their next action.

What initially drew me to Downfall is the idea behind the game seemed unique and something that I had not seen in other games that I have played. On the other hand, if the board layout is balanced, providing each player with access to the resources they need then the value differences in the resources becomes less of a factor. Even if you have memorized both sides of the gameboard you could still have a hard time remembering all of the locations of the discs. The instructions actually encourage simultaneous turns for most things, but we found that we were only able to do that on about 1 in 4 turns. This is not necessarily a bad thing but it may drive people nuts who want more control over the outcome of the game.The idea of two players/teams playing against one another without knowing anything about the other player’s/team’s gameboard layout is an interesting idea. Usually, even if the player tries to take territory from one of the players with a better foothold the desperate player doesn't have the resources to send enough combat power in to actively take and hold their new territory. Most of the fun comes from not exactly knowing what is happening on the other side of the gameboard.

If you have memorized the other side of the gameboard, I don’t think the game would be that fun anymore. This player will want to turn the last wheel so the green one falls to the bottom followed by the yellow one and the green two. When Omen cards are drawn, the player can take any opponent’s piece and throw it into the erupting volcano. Concentration Game Board Game Review and Rules The Omega Virus Board Game Review and Rules Yahtzee Deluxe Poker AKA Last Chance Board Game Review and Rules 1313 Dead End Drive Board Game Review and Rules Buckaroo!The card drafting mechanics are fun, turns are generally brisk, and the set play time means that Downfall is easier to get to the table than most other popular 4x games, but if you are looking for a deep political system, balanced starting positions, and a large amount of asymmetry between factions you won't find them here. It is not that hard to remember how many discs a player has on every dial (if you can hear the discs falling between the dials) but knowing where they are on each dial is mostly a guessing game. If you don't feed your survivors you lose points, and if you don't have the oil to fight back the spread of radiation then you are doomed. I really don’t think anyone will want to play the game frequently enough to memorize the other side of the gameboard and I don’t know why you would want to.